Can they Turn Pro?

[Zeb]

"It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened?..."

Long time reader, part time poster and "Giant" fan of the comic.

Often time in gaming, books, movies and media my enjoyment is broken by the background knowledge of the Meta-story. The heroic journey, typical plot arcs, twists/betrayals that were inevitable, sometimes I just cant turn it off.

This often contributes to my enjoyment of the comic, complex characters, plot twists and the casual disruption of the fourth wall all good stuff. But the analytic part of me just keeps seeing a deeper and deeper hole dug for the all is lost moment. and I just don't see a satisfying way out of it.

Spoiled are what I see based on what has been written:

Spoiler

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First the order
Belkar: Not really a hero, faking character development which actually is development but still not really heroic progression, and is fated to die before the year's end.

Durkon: Also fated to Dies as well as bring "Death and Destruction" to the dwarven lands. At best Malak brings back the body of his "friend" for proper burial at worst... As the Elder Mentor figure he as helped Elan devise a plan, worked with Roy and his sister, Consoled V and provided a consistent role model for the others. His own growth opportunities when he meets his counter divine caster have and can only end in pain. Pain that he can do nothing but put aside to continue the quest. The only "person" he could conceivably unburden himself to is his Thor how has been a buffoon at best.

Edit: RIP

V: Nothing left to take and nothing left to lose, Has already given up Spouse, children, home and in all likelihood their very soul for this quest. Also set to make the heel turn to those gents form the lower planes, so a liability with nothing left.

Roy: Already died and done his personal growth arc, his only plan seems to be... wait and hope for the best?

Haley: family issues could swing positive or negative but she doesn't seem to have any real contribution to make.

Elan: Gets a happy ending, for him, what does that mean? He comes out alive with the girl? Roy tells him he did a good job before they all die? He gets to make the big hero play and be remembered? It is just too ambiguous to tell.

Team evil
Might make the turn to good or at least neutral but only at the cost of Mr. Stiffy and previous enchantments still might result in complications

Gobotopia makes a partial realization of his dream, the don't screw this up message from his god makes it so this will probably all come to a head. But the arcane/divine necessity of the ritual makes it a late game changer.

Really a loose cannon and the big unknown

A host of minor characters might contribute but we have little insight into how they will fare or effect things.

So who sees a positive way out and how?

The best I can see is two more explosions and then a whole new world